Top 10 Apps for Drivers

Take a look at your phone. Crappy navigation apps right? I mean, drivers, you need to know where you’re going. Goodbye apple maps, goodbye mapquest. Hop on over to your app store and download yourself Google Maps. Well, at least there’s a start. However, there is a giant untapped market of navigation apps and driving tools to use at your disposal! I’m talking mile trackers, gas stop checkpoints, rest stops indicators. Excited? Well, you should be! To help get you started, check out these top 10 apps for drivers, like you, to help you stay focused on the road ahead.

Cost: NoneAvailability: iOS, Android
Don’t worry; you don’t have to be an official AAA member to enjoy this app. With this handy AAA Mobile app, can give lifesaving travel guides to non-members and helpful roadside assistance to fully-fledged members. That’s right, your own man or woman mechanic will help fix or tow your car when you’re in a tight spot 24/7. Convenient right?

Cost: $12.99Availability: iOS
One of the best apps on the Apple Marketplace for car fanatics, this app can act as a personal accelerometer, and you can use it to compare your car’s speed after regular car check-ups or tweaks you have done. Although it does cost $12.99, the app developer behind Dynolicious Classic promises near-perfect results for cheap compared to expensive equipment you would have to consider alternatively.

Cost: FreeAvailability: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry
Isn’t it annoying when you fill up your tank with everything you have in your wallet, only to find a cheaper gas station down the road? Luckily for you, GasBuddy is here to settle the score. This app features a community of trusted users who contribute to a mass list of cheaper gas stations that you can use as an alternative to your higher-costing ones. Plus, when you report a cheaper gas station or a price drop, you can earn yourself awards and prizes!

Cost: $0.99Availability: iOS
Now, where did you park your car? It can be a pain when you’re walking around trying to find your car. Trust me; I’ve done it more times than I can remember. With Honk, you can place a pin where you parked your car and even leave yourself little notes on which level floor of the garage you left it. Not to mention, you can also record your meter time to make sure you don’t get served with any nasty fines.

Have an electric car and not know where to charge it? Don’t worry; we didn’t forget about you. With PlugShare, you can view a map of thousands of charging stations no matter where you are. Also, you can also pay through the app for charging your car.

A broken down car is just the beginning of your troubles. Finding a mechanic you can trust to fix your car at a fair rate is incredibly difficult. This app can give you an estimate of the repair costs and a few recommendations of nearby shops to visit. This way you can get a few estimates in person and compare them to the fair price on the RepairPal app. Remember, you should always get quotes from multiple repair shops to see where you can get the best and most reasonable price.

Are you heading out on a cross country road trip? Let the Roadside America app be your tour guide. Check out a salt and pepper shaker museum or find the world’s largest ball of twine. No matter your route, this app can lead you to some of the weirdest things America has to offer. After all, you can’t go on a road trip without making a few pit stops. After your purchase the app, you can access all the destinations in a certain region for $1.99 or all of the destinations in the US and Canada for $5.99.

If you are driving an older car, then this is the app for you. Road Trip allows you to keep track of your car’s maintenance and important figures. It can help you to track your car’s fuel economy, record your car maintenance history, and keep records of all the money you have spent on your car. With you maintenance log, it can also alert you when you are due for basic maintenance like oil changes.

Distracted driving leads to an increasing amount of accidents every year. Automatic Smart Driving Assistant silences incoming distractions from text messages to phone calls when driving. Similar to out of office messages, this app can text message callers informing them you are on the road. If you are involved in a crash, the App’s Crash Alert will automatically request assistance from local authorities and let them know your location. The application also includes a helpful monitoring service staffed with help in case of an accident. Simply connect the Automatic link accessory to your car’s OBD II port and pair it with your app.

Waze is an interactive navigation app that can not only provide you with directions but can also alert you to certain road conditions. This app is similar to Trapster. Other drivers who are also members of the Waze community can report things like traffic jams, accidents, police officers, and other road conditions. Then the app will alert you when you are going to encounter any of these issues. You can also report these road conditions to help out your fellow drivers, too. One of the best features of this app is the ability to send calculated ETAs to your contacts.

With these ten helpful apps, you will be cruising in style, and you will never have to worry about a flat tire again. Did we forget your favorite essential driving app? Let us know in the comments below!